Should I grow weed?

by Nebula Haze

Would you like to grow your own cannabis? One of the most common questions we get from new growers is whether they should or shouldn’t start growing. The truth is that the process of growing marijuana has pluses and minuses and the answer is different for everyone. For some people, growing is a productive and enjoyable hobby that provides an unlimited supply of cheap, high quality weed. For others, growing may be too time consuming or involved. Plus, if you only enjoy weed occasionally, the process of growing may produce more buds than you could use. Lastly, it’s important to consider legality and your own personal living situation.

Should you start growing your own weed?

I’ve compiled a quick list of factors to consider which should help you make the right decision!

Yes, you should grow weed if you…

1.) Have access to cannabis plants

In order to start growing, you need to get your hands on some cannabis plants. There are three common ways to get plants: obtain cannabis clones from a fellow grower, find seeds in your buds, or buy seeds online from a seed bank. I highly recommend getting seeds from a seed bank or breeder if you are looking for specific effects. For example, some strains produce a strong body or mental “high”. With very high-THC/low-CBD strains, the results can even be psychedelic. Conversely, high-CBD/low-THC strains can be relaxing but won’t really affect your thoughts or make you feel intoxicated. For medical marijuana patients, you may be looking for a strain that can reduce the prevalence of seizures (high CBD, low THC), pain (high THC) or nausea (high THC). Each strain grows differently and buds can look or smell very different from each other. If you have any specific goals, it’s a good idea to do a little research so you grow what you actually want! Here’s some tips on choosing the best strain for your needs.

From seed to harvest, an indoor grow takes about 4 months on average. That being said, some strains take longer than others to mature, and it can take 5-6 months before some plants are ready to be harvested. On the other hand, the average time-to-harvest is just 3 months for auto-flowering strains, which automatically start making buds when they’re only a few weeks old. During the grow it will be difficult to be away from your plants for more a few days at a time. Before you germinate your seeds, it’s important to consider whether you have have any upcoming family visits or vacations that may interrupt your grow. Learn more about a typical growing timeline.

5.) Can provide daily (or near daily) care

Daily care is optimal. You can probably get away with tending to your plants every two or maybe even three days, but the more time between visits, the more likely your plants will run into trouble. You don’t want several days to go by without realizing your plants are sick, or that your grow light hasn’t been turning on. We have tons of resources and an active grow forum to help new growers who are experiencing problems, and nearly any growing problem can be fixed if you simply notice it and react to what’s happening, but you need to keep an eye on your plants to do that. After you’ve gained some experience with your growing setup, you won’t need to pay such close attention, but especially during your first grow, your plants are most likely to thrive if you can check on them every day.

6.) Understand security

There’s a phrase that basically sums up the most important aspects of growing security. It applies whether growing is legal in your state or not, because it also helps prevent thieves or nosy neighbors from knowing about your grow. The phrase goes: “No smell, no sell, no tell.” Hiding smells is crucial to hiding a grow because cannabis plants typically start smelling strongly once buds start forming. The smell of a single flowering cannabis plant is enough to alert neighbors for hundreds of feet! Not selling or telling anyone about your grow is self explanatory. Of all activities related to growing cannabis, selling is most likely to get you in legal trouble, and if you can’t trust yourself not to tell people, how can you trust them not to tell anyone else? Learn more about security in the grow room.

7.) Control the smell

Even if growing is legal where you live, preventing smells from leaking out of your home is a good neighborly thing to do since some people hate the smell of weed. Additionally, someone walking by who smells your grow now knows a place to steal a bunch of bud from an unsuspecting grower! Plus, controlling smells is a good practice in case you ever have unexpected guests. There are low(er) odor strains that don’t smell quite as much as typical strains, and products that help cover up the smell in your living areas, but anyone who enters a home with budding cannabis plants is likely be able to smell what’s up unless you take steps to scrub smells from the air. Luckily, controlling smell is easy if you have a grow tent with a carbon filter and fan. A tent can fit almost anywhere with at least 2’x4′ of space and 5′ or more of height. A grow tent contains the smell, then the air is pulled through a carbon filter to remove all the odors before the air leaves the tent. Learn more about how to get rid of smells from your plants.

8.) Want a lot of high-quality weed for cheap

This is why we grow! Growing your own supply typically costs far less than buying your weed, and homegrown buds are generally higher quality than the buds available at a dispensary or on the black market. As a grower, you are also able to choose the strains and growing methods that produce the type of bud effects you want. If you enjoy weed on a regular basis, growing can open up a new world of possibilities for you!

If you have read through this list and feel like you are ready to grow weed, there’s never been a better time than today.

Read the Simplest Grow Guide Ever for a quick overview of the growing process, or check out our new grower shopping list to learn what equipment you need to start growing right away. Growing cannabis is actually pretty easy when you have good information and the right tools!